Feed-water heater and purifier



(No Model.) Y 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. V. H. MGGNNELL. FEED WATER HEATER AND PURIFIBRQ m M y,

Patented Feb. 3,1891,

2 Sheets Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

- V. H. MQCDNNELL.

EEED WATEE HEATER ANDl EUEIEIEE. No. 445,934.'v

PatentedEeb.s,1891.

VIRGIL lil. MCOONNELL, OF BUFFALO, NEWT YORK.

FEED-WATER HEATER AND PURlFIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 445,934, dated February 3, 1891.. Application filed September 29, 1890. Serial No. 366,461. (No model.)

To aZZ whom. it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, VIRGIL H. MCCONNELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, havo invented a new and useful Improvement in Feed-later Heaters and Purifiers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to feed-water purifiers in which the f eed-water before being delivered into the boiler is heated to a suiiiciently-high temperature to liberate the lime or other solid impurities, the latter being precipitated and blown off from time to time while the purified water passes on to the boiler.

My improved apparatus is more especially designed for locomotive-boilers, and the invention has the object to provide an eiiicient apparatus whereby the feed-water is thoroughly deprived of all solid impurities before being admitted to the boiler, and which shall he conveniently located and easily applicable to existing boilers.

My invention consists to that end in combining with a suitable heat-er a settling-chainber, which is located in the smoke-box of the boiler.

In the accompanying drawings, consisting of two sheets, Figure l is a sectional elevation of a locomotive provided with my improved apparatus. Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-section in line :r ai, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the boiler, taken through the waterleg,in line ze, Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal section in line y y, Fig. l.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A represents the boiler of the locomotive; A,the steam-dome; A2, the water-leg, and AS the smoke-box.

' B represents a water-heater arranged, preferably, in the stcamspace of the boiler and consisting of a tight cylindrical chamber eX- tending lengthwise of the boiler and provided with a steam-supply pipe c, terminating in the dome of the boiler, andan internal perforated pipe c', whereby the feed-water 'is sprayed into the heating-chamber in a finely-divided state. The water is highly heated 'by contact with the steam in the chamber, causing the solid impurities to be ,liberated from the water.

d represents the feed water supply-pipe leading from the supply-tank to the spraypipe c and with which the usual deliverypurnps are connected.

E represents asettling or separating chamber located in the smoke-box, A3, and f is a pipe whereby the heated feed-water is conducted from the heater B to the settling-chamber. As more clearly shown in Fig. 2, this settling-chamber consists of an enlarged hollow base e, arranged transversely in the smokebox and provided at one end with a descending inlet-pipe c, with which the dischargepipe f of the heater is connected, and at its opposite end with an ascending pipe e2. These ascending and descending pipes are conn ected at their upper ends by a horizontal circulating pipe c3.

g is the delivery-pipe connected with the upper end of the ascending outlet of the settling-chamber and which conducts the puri- `lied water to the boiler.

t is a shield or defleetor arranged i-n the upper portion of the descending pipe of the settling-chamber on the inner side ot' the mouth of the inlet-pipefand depending below the horizontal pipe e3, so as to direct the incoming feed-water downwardly in the inlet-pipe. 7i is a similar shield arranged in the upper portion of the ascending pipe in front of the outlet thereof7 and whereby the water which passes through the horizontal pipe in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2 is directed downwardly in the Vascending pipe,

so as to retard its escape from the settlingchamber.

t' represents a strainer plate arranged horizontally in the enlarged base of the settlingchamber, and which extends from the outlet end of the enlarged base to within a short distance of the inlet end thereof, so as to leave a passage t" between the end of the strainerplate and the adjacent-wall of the settlingchamber, through which the water enters the portion of the settling-chamber underneath the strainer-plate. The water entering the descending inlet-pipe passes into the enlarged base of the settling chamber and ascends through the perforated strainer-plate into the outlet-pipe c?, from which latter it passes to the boiler through the delivery-pipe g. The lime and other solid impurities in the water settle in the bottom of the settling-chamber,

IOO

being intercepted by the strainer-plate and prevented from again commingli-ng withthe purified water. A portion of the sediment is precipitated in the heater B, while l[he resioue is collected in the bottom of the settlingchamber, thereby thoroughly purifying the water before the same enters the boiler and avoiding the deposit of scale upon the iiues and the boiler-shell. rlhe upper horizontal pipe e3 of the settling-chamber forms a connection between the upright pipes e e? of the chamber, establishing with said pipes and the hollow base a continuous passage, through which the wat-er circulates before escaping from the settling-chamber.

J represents abloW-off pipe connected with Ithe bottom of the settling-chamber and having a suitable blow-off cock. Upon opening` this blow-off cock the steam-pressure expels the water from the heater into the settlingchamber and from the latter through the blow-off cock, the water carrying with it any sediment which has collected in the heater and the settling-chamber, whereby the apparatus is thoroughly cleaned. The heater B is preferablyinclined toward the settling-chamber, so that any sediment which is precipitated in the heater will flowinto the settlingchamber.

The delivery-pipe g preferably extends transversely through the water-leg of the boiler, and is provided within the same with perforations through which the water issues into the boiler. This pipe may be provided outside of the water-leg with a blow-off cock g', as described and shown in a pending application for patent filed by me on or about the 12th day of September, 1890, Serial No. 365755, so that upon closing the blow-off cock of the settling-chamber the water in the heater and settling-chamber is discharged throngh'the blow-off of the delivery-pipe g.

This also creates a suction through the per-- forated portion of the delivery-pipe,whereby any sediment lodging in the waterleg or mudring around the delivery-pipe is discharged from the boiler. 'NVhen the blow-off of the delivery-pipe is closed and that of the settling-chamber opened, a suction is created through the delivery-pipe and the sediment is discharged from the water-leg in the saine manner as it is discharged by opening the blow-off of the delivery-pipe and closing that of the settling-chamber.

If desired, the blow-off of the delivery-pipe may be dispensed with; but I prefer to employ the same in addition to the blow-off of the settling-chamber, because any sediment which remains after blowing off through the cock of the settling-chamber may be discharged by means of the other blow-off, thereby enablingthe boiler to be effectnally cleaned.

By arranging the settling-chamber in the smoke-box of the boiler the same is not only readily applicable to existing boilers, easily accessible for making repairs, and protected from the weather, but it is heated to a consid- I do not' wish to claim in this application the feature of the perforated delivery-pipe arranged in the water-leg of the boiler and provided outside of the boiler with a blow-off cock, as that forms the subject of my pending application hereinbefore referred to.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination, with a steam-boiler havinga smoke-box, of a water-beati ng chamber arranged in the steam-space of the boiler and communicating with the steam-space, a settling-chamber arranged in the smoke-box and receiving the hot water from said heatin ,ef-chamber, and a pipe whereby the purified water is conducted from the settling-chamber to the boiler, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a steam-boiler having a smoke-box, of a feed-water heater whereby the water is heated to liberate the solid impurities contained in the water, a settling-chamber arranged in the smoke-box connected with said water-heater and provided with a blow-off cock, and a delivery-pipe whereby the purified water is conducted from the settling-chamber to the boiler, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a steam -boiler having a smoke-box, of a vertical settlingchamber arranged in the smoke-box and consisting of a -hollow base provided with a descending inlet pipe and an ascending discharge-pipe, a feed-pipe connected with the descending inlet of the settling-chamber, and a delivery-pipe leading from the ascending outlet thereof to the boiler, substantially as set forth.

4. 'lhe combination, with a steam -boiler having a smoke-box, of a vertical settlingchamber arranged in the smoke-box and consisting of a hollow base provided with a descending inlet-pipe, an ascending dischargepipe, and a strainer arranged in the hollow base which intercepts the solid impurities in the water, a feed-pipe connected with the descending inlet of the settling-chamber, and a delivery-pipe leading from the ascending ontlet thereof to the boiler, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with a steam boiler having a smoke-box, of a vertical settlingchamber arranged in the smoke-box and consisting of a hollow base provided with a descending inlet-pipe, an ascending dischargepipe, and at its bottom with a blow-off cock, a feed-pipe connected with the descending inlet of the settling-chamber, and a deliverypipe leading` from the ascending outlet thereof to the boiler, substantially as set forth.

G. The combination, with a steam-boiler having a smoke-box, of a vertical settlingchamber arranged in the smoke-box and consisting of a hollow base provided with a de- IIO scending inlet-pipe, an ascending dischargepipe, and a horizontal pipe connecting the upper portions of the descending and ascending pipes, a feed-pipe connected with the descending inlet of the settling-chamber, and a delivery-pi pe leading from the ascending` outlet thereof to the boiler, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination, with a steam -boiler having a smoke-box, of a vertical settlingcharnber arranged in the smoke-box and consisting of a hollow base provided with a descending inlet-pipe, an ascending dischargepipe, and a horizontal pipe connecting the upper portions of the descending and ascendingr pipes, and shields or delectors arranged in the upper portions of the inlet Iand outlet pipes of the settling-chamber, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 22d day of Septemzo Witnesses:

CARL F. GEYER, FRED. C. GEYER. 

